Secrets Between Friends
by Justin-M-Bernard
Summary: Colin and Ginny have become close friends. They become even closer friends through thick and thin, and learn about each other along the way!
1. Corridor Collision

**.:. Secrets Between Friends .:.**

_Chapter On__e - Corridor Collision_**  
**

"Harry! Where _have_ you been?" Hermione shot the question at him as he suddenly rounded the corner in front of her. Startled, Harry skidded to a halt inches away from Hermione's fiery glare.

Harry opened his mouth to respond when someone collided with him from behind. His body was sent into a startled Hermione. With a gasp, a grunt, and a yelp, three bodies landed in a tangle of limbs.

"What… in the… world?" Hermione squeezed out in a strained breath.

"Huh?" Harry muttered.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" the third voice cried out.

Hermione placed the voice. "Ginny?"

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't watch–"

"Look at that. You don't see that everyday!" A voice from down the hall drawled. "It's a Potter sandwich!" Draco snickered. Crabbe and Goyle chortled at either side of the blonde boy whose expression returned back to its familiar sneer. "Gross!" Malfoy made a pained expression and held his stomach. "I think I've got food poisoning now!" Draco barked a laugh, while his gruesome twosome stood there looking puzzled.

"Get off of... me... you two!" Hermione growled reaching for her wand. "He deserves... worse... than food poisoning!" Harry began moving to get up, complicating things for Ginny who was doing the same. By the time the Hermione was standing, Draco had sneered one more time before disappearing around a corner down the hall.

Hermione fumed "I swear, next time I have the chance, I'm going to turn his face into a-a… a rare fungus, and hand him over to Professor Sprout!" She took a deep breath, attempted to smooth out some of her hair – unsuccessfully.

"So, now that _he_ is gone," Hermione turned to Harry and Ginny in a somewhat calmer state. "where have you been?"

"Well, we've…" Harry stuttered glancing at Hermione and Ginny. "I've been … Dumbledore has asked me to …err… help Ginny here with some school work."

"Really?" Hermione's doubt was obvious.

"Yes!" He insisted.

"Yeah," Ginny piped up, and then blushed. "I'm not very good at Defense against the Dark Arts. Well, I mean I can never seem to get _Finite Incantatem_ and _Petrificus Totalus_ right."

Focusing on Ginny, Hermione softened noticeably. "You know, you can ask me anything you want. I've read as much as I have access to, and then some! That means I know alot more than Harry."

"Yes. All you do, is _read_!" Harry rolled his eyes. "But when it come to the dark arts, I'm a lot stronger than you," He pointed out smugly. "Or anyone else for that matter."

Hermione, warned him with a stern look. "At _any_ rate, there's something I need to talk to you about." She turned to Ginny again. "Sorry, but if you don't mind, we really do need to go."

Ginny nodded shyly. She watched them as Hermione rushed Harry down the corridor leaving her where she stood. Her eyes followed the pair until they were out of sight. Hermione walked swiftly and purposely. Harry on the other hand, had grown quite tall, so his strides were longer and less rushed, but with just as much confidence – something Ginny wished she had more of.

She hugged herself briefly as her mind flickered back to Harry's sprawled body underneath hers. The flash of a camera snapped her out from the midst of her wandering thoughts.

"Colin!" Ginny whirled around. "I told you to stop doing that!"

"I know, but really, I couldn't resist this time! You looked so sad, and … uhh… it just looked nice." The redheaded girl looked away from him, trying to hide the blushing. "See?" Colin teased, grinning. "That's good too, blushing!" He snapped another shot.

Ginny marched away, making her way to her room where she knew she could get away from everything. Colin was soon matching her pace. He had grown quite a bit during last summer as well. It was hard to get used to sometimes. There was another thing that was hard to get used to about the boy; he had taken a real interest in her. Ginny had never expected a boy to like her enough to be her friend, least of all Colin, but he had.

During the first week back from summer holidays when she had locked her self in her room for three days in a row, for a reason she now admitted was over dramatic and stupid, Colin had been her alibi. He claimed that she was sick from a rare condition that he had made up on the spot. Apparently, the disorder whose name cannot be pronounced properly by humans, only lasts for three to five days, leaves no trace, and has symptoms remarkably similar to that of an emotional teenager. When asked about it, he simply said, "I did some research on it in the library."

A month later when Ginny had gone missing for a whole weekend, he had pretended to see her at various points in time. Thanks to Colin a search party had been narrowly avoided!

Ginny was certain the lanky blond boy suspected her odd behavior was related to her fascination with Harry, even though neither of them said anything about it. It was true that her feelings towards the Hogwart's idol had increased exponentially since first meeting him, but she wasn't prepared to open herself up to anyone, even Colin. Not yet.She wouldn't risk loosing the one good friend she can count on by letting him know all the details about her obsession.

"Ginny?" Colin's voice scattered her thoughts away.

"What Colin?" The look on his face stopped her in her tracks. Colin was looking at her in such a way it felt like he was looking inside her. His eyes were so intent on her, she stepped back half a step and held her breath. For a while he didn't say anything, so she waited.

"You should know that I am glad we are friends." He started. He stood and faced her squarely. That was odd for Colin; he rarely was direct or assertive with anyone. "I never thought I could … have such a good friend. And I want you to know that you can tell me anything," He faltered a moment, looking away before continuing. "As long as you don't mind me returning the favor sometime." He turned back to her, with a small smile. Colin's eyes shone wetly before he turned away again.

"Colin…" Ginny whispered, shaking her head. "Wh-what are you getting at?" She didn't understand where he was coming from at all.

Colin took a deep breath.

"Never mind, I'll talk to you later!" He dashed off down the hall.

Ginny was left alone in the hallway again. This time she was utterly confused, and more than a bit worried.

After a few moments of bewilderment she continued on to her room where she puzzled over Colin's strange episode long enough to forget about her plan to watch the Gryffindor's Quidditch match with Slytherin that evening.

* * *

June-20-2005: first posted 

June-21-2005:minor changes to spelling/grammar and formatting

June-27-2005: minor edit - also named chapter

* * *

_Read on in Chapter Two!_


	2. Close Call

**.:. Secrets Between Friends .:.**

_Chapter Two - Close Call_

Ginny felt a sudden welling of pride while the crowd cheered as Ron made another save for Gryffindor keeping the tie that Slytherin was desperately trying to break. She managed to only miss the first twenty minutes of the match. As Quidditch games go, this was an intense one. What she did see, made up for whatever she missed.

Draco lead the Slytherin team as they scowled at Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor players. Even from this far below, the pale boy's sneer was visible. He shouted something as he zipped past Harry. Harry, who was searching for the Golden Snitch, merely glanced back at Malfoy. For a moment that brought Harry's intense gaze right upon Ginny.

It was at that very moment the Golden Snitch popped into sight – merely two feet from Ginny's face.

Instantly, Harry sped towards her. Draco pursued automatically. The crowd burst into a thunderous chorus. Ginny gasped for air. They were racing towards her!

The snitch was within her reach. She watched it hover there, it's wings a mesmerizing golden blur. Behind the blur the two boys were closing fast; Draco just ahead of Harry. Ginny's heart was beating so rapidly that she didn't hear the spectators around her shuffle out of the way. Colin calling out to her had no effect either.

Ginny watched Harry's expression change from excitement to frustration, and then to worry. The look on Draco's face frightened her. His eyes were cold gray orbs, and his mouth was twisted into a horrid contortion of a sneer. His face wore a grimace that spoke of his lust for victory. His only concern was the snitch.

She could tell that Harry was on the verge of pulling back. She wasn't sure why, but she knew. She also knew that Draco wasn't going to slow down for anything.

The shape of the two boys in her vision was quickly growing. They were so close! Then Ginny suddenly did something that evoked gasps from all around her.

She stood up.

Calmly she stood, and the snitch barely wavered from its position. Harry yelled at her to get down, but he didn't slow his chase. Draco, on the other hand, continued to watch the snitch intently. She closed her eyes, then she held her breath. Ginny felt a rush of air, nearly knocking her over.

She opened her eyes and saw the snitch. In a blink, the thing was snatched out of her vision by the swift blur of Harry's hand.

With her heart still racing the redheaded girl weakened at the knees and fell back into her seat. There was a commotion to either side of her. To her right, Draco was sprawled out on the stands beside her completely dazed. His broom was a splintered arrow imbedded into the audience seating between his legs. Harry, to her left, who had a better broom and a teensy bit more reaction time, was panting heavily. Although, his landing was less damaging, his right arm was cradling his other arm as well as the snitch. He rolled onto his back facing the sky and looked over towards Ginny.

"Thanks." He managed a smile. She smiled back.

"I've never seen anything like it!" A voice exclaimed beside her. "I should have gotten a shot of that but Ginny, that was enough to scare the warts off a toad!" Colin stared at her in amazement. His eyes flickered, focusing just behind her. "Uh oh, the ferret boy stirs."

Ginny turned to see Draco getting up to his feet. At the sight of his broom, he whipped around to face Ginny. His attempt to march over in his typical superior manner, failed. His right knee gave out and nearly sent him tumbling into the crowd. He regained his footing and stood in front of her. His seething grimace pinned her to where she sat. Stooping over her, his body was shaking with fury.

Ginny couldn't stand. Colin stood up beside her nervously, trying to take some of the heat from Malfoy. Harry had gotten to his feet and now stood on her other side. Draco reacted by groping for his wand.

"That's quite enough Draco." Dumbledore emerged from the crowd. "Besides, you seem to have dropped you're wand during your rushed landing." With a flick of the wrist and a quiet word, the boy's wand deftly jumped from the rumble of the broom and into the old man's hand.

"Congratulations to Gryffindor on today's win!" Dumbledore patted Harry on the shoulder lightly, smiling at the crowd. He nodded to Ginny and Colin, and then turned back to Draco offering the wand back to its owner. The boy grabbed at his wand, but it didn't budge from Dumbledore's hand. He bent closer to the blonde boy still smiling.

"I think," The Headmaster began sagely, "it was long overdue for the time to come, impeccable timing it seems, that someone actually stood up to you, my dear Draco." Although, Dumblore's calm and even tone stilled the boy for the moment, the twinkle in his eyes seemed to fuel Malfoy anger.

"I'd rather have her on her back." He muttered spitefully.

Ginny shot up back to her feet and glared right at it him. Harry and Colin both opened their mouths to reply angrily.

"Shall I take twenty points from Slytherin?"

Draco fumbled for words, like a fish out of water. He stared at Dumbledore, who returned a stern look. Then he turned back to Ginny. _Why did I go and say that? She's not even pretty._ He continued to glare at her. _Well… not that pretty…_

The Headmaster cleared his throat. Draco figured the old goat wanted an apology out of him. So, he gave one.

"I'm sorry for saying that Ginny." A malicious grin spread over his face. "I wouldn't want you at all."

In a flash, Ginny's hand swung out and slapped Draco's left cheek. The boy's reflexes were sharp and caught her wrist just as it made contact. Dumbledore cleared his throat, and everything was silent.

Draco's breath was quicker now. Her arm was still tense, just as his grip remained firm. For a moment, her hand hovered less than an inch away from his skin. Then he gave way to her pull, but never letting go.

_This is so fun! And she looks better when she's angry._

His cheek was hot from the strike, and her hand could feel the warmth of it. She tried as hard as she could to pull her hand away from him. Slowly he relented, but never releasing his grip.

Dumbledore cleared his throat once again before speaking.

"Twenty points it is then." He raised his hand halting the objection from Draco. "Fifteen from Slytherin, and five from Gryffindor."

* * *

June-21-2005: first posted 

June-22-2005: made minor changes to spelling/grammar and formatting

Justn-27-2006: minor edit - also named chapter

* * *

_Read on to Chapter Three!_


	3. Tears In The Night

**.:. Secrets Between Friends .:.**

_Chapter Three - Tears In The Night_

Ginny sat in her room.

Alone.

And crying.

Ginny's head hung low. Her dark red hair obscured her face from the moonlight cascading in to the room through the window near her bed. At either side, she clutched the bedding. The girl's petite frame was tense from the emotions flooding her. As she sobbed quietly, her body trembled.

She was confused.

Her thoughts swirled around the image of a boy – no, a young man. He was older now. Much more experienced than the boy she had first met. Stronger in mind and body than most of his age, he had been through more than she could ever imagine. She had even caused some of it. It really wasn't her fault she had been unable to control that situation. Besides, it was all in the past. He still had occupied her thoughts on a regular basis though, until now.

Until now, the image in her mind had been absolutely clear. Dark tousled hair, poignant green eyes, firm and willful mouth, and the quite confidence that made his physique so striking. Then of course, there was that symbolic scar, the one thing she didn't like. It endowed him as well as cursed him. It branded him. It chained him to his destiny. Up until now, Harry lived in the world of her mind, free of that ghastly weight, alone.

Now, there was someone else.

This second image was, for the moment, just a smudge. It posed no threat. It was harmless, except that it was eroding away the image of Harry in her mind. She just realized that the Harry in her mind was less distinct and clear. Parts of him began to haze over, replaced by the uncertainty of this intruder.

Inside, Ginny was torn.

She attempted a deep breath to calm herself. The air caught in her throat, and she coughed. She coughed and cried and hugged herself, willing it to stop. When it didn't she fell back onto her bed, curling up and closing herself off.

The images in her mind were beginning to mix. Details from the second were slowly becoming clear. Her mind was reeling in disbelief.

"No…" She whispered into the dark.

—

Colin stood at the entrance of the doorway. The Gryffindor common room was empty, save for one lone student. He watched, for a moment, the older boy who was working late on something before speaking.

"Working late, Harry?"

"Err… yeah." He had been startled by the sudden sound of a voice. Harry relaxed once he recognized Colin's voice. "I'm trying to come up with a good topic for the essay due this week in my Muggle Studies class."

"Not going well?" Colin guessed, as he entered the room and sat down in a comfy old chair near the fireplace.

Harry smiled, complimented bythe soft glow on his face from the dying fire. He shook his head. "I don't know where to even begin!"

"You were raised by muggles though, right?"

"Yes, but _those_ relatives of mine don't count! They're barely human!" Harry chuckled. He didn't hate his relatives now, but he certainly didn't make excuses for them either, for what he went through.

Colin smiled. He watched the glowing embers in the fireplace in silence. He tried not to watch Harry while he was working, but the remnants of the fire weren't enough to hold his attention.

Harry adjusted himself on the sofa, so that he was lying back against one of the overstuffed arms and his feet up against the other. He laced his fingers behind his head and stared up at one of the corners in the ceiling.

Colin's eyes wandered over to where Harry reclined. The older boy wore a pensive face. Furrowed brows and pursed lips; he was thinking. Harry's eyes traveled along invisible paths of thought on the ceiling. Colin noticed then what Harry was wearing, an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts that he had been favoring lately. Even though it wasn't tight on him, the shirt was short for his long torso. With his arms up, it left a few inches of Harry's abdomen visible.

Behind his glasses, Harry's eyes began to droop.

Colin realized how late it was and began to get tired too. Something deep down fought back the weariness.

Harry's body relaxed as he fell asleep. His right leg began to fall away from the other, which was propped up by the back of the sofa. Colin watched the leg as it slowly descended and came to a rest where it hung over the edge of the cushion. Harry's head lolled to one side, the side facing Colin.

Suddenly the fire died out completely. The only light left was some moonlight filtering in through the windows on the other side of the room. He could still make out the basic image of Harry's body. Colin's eyes adjusted. He could still make out the exposed area between shirt and short and he could still distinguish the dark hairs on the other boy's legs in the less shadowed places. Without the golden warmth of the fire, Harry's face took on a ghostly pallor.

The only sound was the slow paced breathing coming from Harry's now slightly open mouth.

Colin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It did little to calm him. Harry's breathing sounded closer once he closed his eyes.

Taking another deep breath, Colin opened his eyes and stood up. He tugged on his waistband for a second before glancing over at Harry. He took a couple of steps towards his room, and suddenly stopped. His steps had taken him to the sofa instead. The blonde boy now stood in front of the other's sleeping form.

The ambient light in the room cast shades of gray over everything. The room became a dream like monochromatic version of reality. In it, Colin stood over Harry only a moment, then, by some will other than his own, he knelt down beside the sofa. He studied the face of the boy in front of him. He had never been this close to Harry before. Colin leaned in closer, until he felt the hushed breathing on his face.

Harry's glasses were reflecting the light and shadows that made up the boy watching over him. For a second, they distracted Colin, and he suddenly became aware that his left hand was moving towards Harry's peaceful visage.

Colin blinked in disbelief. _I can't be doing this_, he thought, _I'll get caught! _His heart raced, and his hand trembled. He couldn't pull away, but he managed to keep it from getting closer. _What am I doing! _His other hand was now closing in on Harry as well. His heart thumped in his chest. Colin exerted as much will power as he could muster, to control himself. His hands hovered over the pale skin of Harry's face and neck. Torn between emotions, Colin bit his bottom lip.

His body turned cold, frozen in sudden fear, as Harry groggily turned his head. Colin tasted blood just as he realized that Harry's mouth almost brushed against his fingers. The warmth from the other boy's breath caressed Colin's fingertips. The sensation spread like wild fire through his body, and ignited an overwhelming surge of emotion.

_Stop it Colin!_ He screamed inside. A whimper caught in his throat, on the verge of breaking through. He couldn't take it any longer. He had to concentrate on something that wasn't Harry.

_Glasses!_ He told himself. _His glasses! _

Harry's glasses sat crookedly on his face. Colin focused is willpower on his hands. He made them gently and carefully slid the thin round frames off. Colin sighed with relief when he succeeded. From Harry's throat came a low mumble.

Colin was ready to burst. He pulled himself away and on his feet. He walked around and behind the sofa, on the way to his room. His eyes never left the slumbering form, and nearly tripped for it. His eyes rested on the sight of Harry's navel. Colin swallowed hard before breaking himself away from the scene.

Once in his room the blond boy wiped his eyes. He slipped into his bed without getting undressed and tried desperately to get to sleep still with Harry's glasses in his hands.

* * *

June-27-2005: first posted 

June-28-2005: added more to the chapter!

June-29-2005: minor changes to spelling/grammar & named chapter!

July-04-2005: more minor changes

_

* * *

Read on to Chapter Four! _

And please review and leave me comments, I want to hear from anyone who reads this! and that means you!


	4. Rude Awakening

**.:. Secrets Between Friends .:.**

_Chapter Four - Rude Awakening_

It was early morning and the sudden bustle of some Gryffindors in the common room startled Harry. He nearly fell off the sofa trying to get up he was so disoriented and confused. He saw blurred shapes of his fellow students moving about. He felt his face for his glasses, but he wasn't wearing them.

Hastily he checked the sofa, incase they had fallen off during his sleep. Nothing. He searched the floor in front of the sofa, too. Without his glasses he felt so helpless, and feeling helpless was something he absolutely hated to feel.

"Has anyone seen my glasses?" Harry called out to the blurred motion around him. "I've lost my glasses." He croaked, still shaking off the effects of slumber.

A shadow knelt down beside him and touched his arm.

"What's wrong Harry?" The concern in her voice was unmistakable. He stared at her, squinting.

"Ginny?" He could barely make her features out.

"Yes. Harry, where have your glasses gone?"

"I don't know." His mind revisited the previous night. "I was up late trying to figure out an essay topic, then I was talking to Colin." His mind went blank. That when he must have fallen asleep. That didn't answer the question of the whereabouts of his glasses.

In his silence, Ginny studied Harry's face. His hair was a mess. His eyes were a little puffed from sleep, but without his glasses they were much greener than usual. He looked lost.

"I'll help you find them." Ginny offered.

"Thanks, Ginny." Harry said with a warm smile.

"Ok, so…" She realized her hand was still on his arm. She let go reluctantly. "Where did you leave them last?"

"Uhh, on my face."

"Oh ok, so that's no help."

"Thanks." He said flatly.

Ginny stifled a giggle. She scanned the areas around them avoiding the looks from the few students that were up at this time.

"When's your first class?"

"Well, I normally would have Potions class first thing today, but Snape has recently been unavailable to teach." He whispered that last part conspiratorially under his breath. He continued.

"Hermione and Malfoy had a raging argument that last week. She was so furious she attempted to get back at him." He seemed to forget his missing glasses for a moment. His naked eyes shone as he confided in her.

"She tried this spell she found. It worked perfectly. Only, it got misdirected at the last moment." His mouth spread into a wide grin.

"What was the spell?"

"I can't say now, Hermione would be furious with me! I really should find my glasses though."

"Yes."

They had searched most of the common room when Hermione and Ron entered from the girls' and boys' staircases respectfully.

"What are you two doing?" Ron asked groggily, breaking the silence of the common room.

"Harry, where are your glasses?" Hermione queried a moment later.

Harry, who had been checking the higher bookshelves along the wall, nearly dropped a large book onto Ginny. Meanwhile, Ginny who was checking the lower shelves, suddenly realized how close she was to Harry's lower extremities and blushed deeply. She shyly stood up and stepped away from him.

"To answer both questions, we're looking for my glasses." Harry turned to face the voices. "What time is it, by the way?" He asked no one in particular.

"It's still quite early." Hermione shot a glance at Ron. "So why are _you_ up at this hour Ron?"

"Oh." Ron shuffled around. "Neville just happened to come across a left over treat from my brothers' escapades. He snored like a dragon with asthma all night! And it's getting worse." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"I see." Hermione studied him for a moment before returning her attention Harry. "So _what_ exactly happened to your glasses, Harry?"

"I dunno."

"Well, that's no help, now is it?" She surveyed the room at a glance, and then sighed. "I think I know a spell just for this type of situation."

"Hermione, I think we can manage without any of your spells right now. Thanks all the same."

"Fine!" She huffed. "I'm going down for breakfast early, since you don't need my help." She stomped off out of the room. Harry made a step towards her, bumping into Ginny instead.

"I'm sorry, I should go too. I'm just in the way." Ginny scurried off in the direction Hermione took.

Once Ginny was out in the main hall, she leaned against the wall for a moment, catching her breath. For a while she had forgotten about what was on her mind during the previous night. All in a rush, she had remembered. It was all she could do to remain calm and collected while standing so near to Harry.

Inside the common room Ron stared at Harry, puzzled.

"You know, scaring off two girls at once is quite the talent."

"Bugger off, Ron. I'm not having a good day so far." Harry wandered back to the sofa, and flopped down with a grunt.

"That much I could tell, and I'm not even awake yet." He sat down beside his friend and leaned back.

"Oh, if I could only get some sleep right now." Ron complained.

"At least we don't have Potions class today."

"That's right! I could get some sleep, just for an hour." Suddenly Ron's face turned to shock.

"_Bloody hell_, I have to pass in my late assignment for Divination!" Ron sank further down into the sofa. "I was supposed have it done for today's class!"

"Which is usually right after Potions." Harry noted. "I guess you're not helping me find my glasses then, are you."

"Nope, sorry Harry. If you find your glasses before class, feel free to help me out and make sure I'm still awake."

Ron grudgingly made his was back to room, all the while mumbling incoherently.

Harry remained seated on front of the fireplace. His thoughts drifted back to the previous night. He was quite certain that he hadn't taken off his glasses. If he had he would have put them in a pocket, or set them down somewhere near. Someone must have taken them.

He immediately suspected Malfoy, but it made no sense for his rival to play such a simple trick on him. No, the blonde Slytherin would have done something more malicious that this.

Harry's thoughts focus on another blonde boy. As he thought about it, he realized Colin Creevey never spoke to him regularly. When he did it was always about taking his picture or inquiring about his games, and such things. Last night the boy actually spoke to him as an equal without making Harry feel like he was being idolized. In all honesty, it was probably the first time in quite awhile, that the two of them spoke to each other without the company of others.

He remembered now, that he had fallen asleep quite quickly. Harry had felt suddenly tired and comfortable lying on the sofa. Besides, it had been quite late.

Something tugged at his mind, but Harry couldn't put his finger on it.

—

Colin lay back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly.

He had been awake before any of his roommates, and was thankful for that. Upon waking, he was painfully aware of the two things – Harry's glasses that he held up to his chest, and the hard throbbing between his legs. He hadturned over to hide both, and now that everyone had left for breakfast he allowed himself to relax and breathe a bit. Then he waited for things to subside.

The boy realized that waiting wasn't helping. He knew that in this condition he couldn't go anywhere without a great deal of discomfort. Colin resigned himself to do the only thing that he knew would help. So, he proceeded to alleviate the stress his body was inflicting upon himself.

Colin's need was suddenly so immediate and intense, that he failed to notice the knock on his door. When his name was called from outside the door, it barely registered. The fact that it was Harry's voice calling his name, though, struck a chord deep inside him. For a moment, the world only consisted of Harry's voice calling his name again, the muffled sound of it saturating his mind.

When he realized what the reality of it meant, it was too late for him.

Harry had just opened the door.

—

Harry stumbled over some furniture on the way to Colin's room. He thought maybe the other boy had seen where he had put his glasses. Once Harry was at the door he listened for signs of any morning activity. Hearing nothing, he knocked softly just in case anyone in the room was still sleeping. He wasn't sure how many had left already for breakfast.

"Colin." Harry called out.

No answer.

Harry stood there for a moment quietly. He didn't want to be rude and just walk in, but he figured if there were no signs of life, it was ok. Just in case, he knocked again, a little louder. He called out, again a little louder.

No answer.

Opening the door, Harry poked his head in. He could barely make out the beds around the room, but one of them he could tell was occupied. He called out again.

"Colin?"

A muffled sound, not unlike a grunt, came from the room.

"Uhh… Harry?" came Colin's throaty reply.

"I don't mean to wake you, but I was wondering if you remember where I put my glasses last night. I can't see without them." He squinted in Colin's direction.

"Oh I have them here." The other boy blurted out.

"You _do_?"

For a moment, Harry was sure he heard the boy whimper.

"I uhh… I-I," Colin began to stutter. "Th-they fell off, and I-I p-pick-picked them up. I g-guess I-I f-for-forgot about them. S-sorry."

There was a moment of silence.

"Can I have them back?" Harry posed quietly.

"Yeah, sure." Colin's voice squeaked out.

Harry entered the room fully and walked over towards where Colin lay. He stepped slowly and carefully making sure he wouldn't trip on anything.

"I'm so glad I didn't lose them or break them." Harry told the blond boy as he approached. "I wasn't looking forward to going through any classes without them."

Colin made a nervous little laugh.

Standing over him, Harry waited. He suddenly sensed the younger boy's nervousness. He looked down at Colin, confused. Then he realized that Colin was holding up something to him.

"Here's your glasses, sorry for taking them."

Harry reached out to grab his glasses. He misjudged the distance and his fingers closed around Colin's hand. By the initial contact Harry could tell that the boy's slender hand was shaking. But for a moment, as Harry's fingers traveled, groping towards the pair of specs in Colin's warm hand, the trembling ceased. Colin's fingers uncurled slowly, releasing Harry's glasses to him.

Harry fumbled with his glasses, and realized that he was putting them on upside down.

"Oh bugger." Harry cursed.

He turned them around, almost poking his eye out, and put them on right. Once he was looking through his lenses he saw the room around him, and the boy in front of him clearly. Colin was snuggled tightly under his blankets with one arms still stretched out towards Harry's body. The boy's face was blank with astonishment. His mouth was slack. His eyes were wide and staring directly into Harry's.

When Harry saw those watery blue orbs, his breath left him and his throat clenched. It was a few silent seconds before he found his.

"Umm, Colin?" Harry began. "Are you… are you alright?"

Colin stared up at Harry, and suddenly realized that he had his glasses on, and could see him clearly. He looked away and closed his eyes, forcing the moisture to streak down his pale cheek. His lips were turned down, and his chin trembled. He brought his hand up to cover his face.

"You have your glasses now, you should go. I'm not feeling well."

"I can see that" He stepped to the edge of Colin's bed. "Is there anything I can do? I can sneak something back from breakfast if you're hungry." Harry offered sincerely.

"That would be nice…" The boy in bed mumbled from underneath his hand. Colin then turned back to Harry so suddenly that the older boy jumped.

"No! Don't do that! You don't have to!" Colin pleaded. "I'm not hungry, and …" The boy faltered. Harry suddenly noticed the blond hair around Colin's forehead and temples were darkened with sweat. The boy's skin definitely had a shine to it.

"Hold on, looks like you've got a fever."

"Wha—" Colin gaped at him.

Harry bent close and made to put a hand on his forehead. Colin gasped and tried to shy away from his touch. With the quick movement, the blankets covering the boy were pulled away to expose his shoulders and upper chest.

"C'mon Colin, I'm not going to hurt you. I know I'm no medical expert but I should be able to tell if you have a fever. You don't want me to get Madame Pomfrey, if you don't need her."

Colin settled down.

Having to reach further now, Harry placed a hand on the bed beside Colin's shoulder to steady himself as he placed his other hand on the boy's forehead. He brushed away the blond hair and pressed his palm against the Colin's skin. Harry felt the warmth emanating from his body, and not just from his moist brow, his neck and shoulders gleamed with sweat. The boy's face was flush. Also, the space around him seemed warm and musky.

Colin had closed his eyes and was biting his lip when Harry noticed another movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked down and stared for a moment, baffled. Colin's breathing was quick and rough. Harry looked back into the blue eyes that were now open again and intense.

"You really should go, Harry" Colin told him through clenched teeth. "Now."

The sudden realization hit him and he felt dizzy. Harry turned and bolted towards the door. The muffled sound he heard from Colin on the way out sent a chill up his spine.

By the time Harry got to the common room, his stomach had done a somersault, and his mind had flipped inside out, and he was utterly dumbfounded.

* * *

July-05-2005: first posted 

July-12-2005: named chapter and added 3 pages

* * *

_Read on and enjoy Chapter Five!  
_


	5. When It Rains It Pours

**.:. Secrets Between Friends .:.**

_Chapter Five - When It Rains It Pours  
_

It was a few minutes before Ginny snapped out of her reverie. On the way down to the hall, she tried to clear her head of the swirling mass of thoughts that were now muddling up her brain. She was unsuccessful until she rounded the corner before the entrance of the main hall.

"Why so rushed, Gryffindor?" Malfoy crooned.

The girl spun on her heels in a blink to find herself in the Slytherin's grasp. Her heart jumped to her throat as the boy pulled her close. Her body tensed immediately, expecting rough treatment, but none came. He held her firmly without causing pain. Confused, she eyes darted around their surroundings expecting Crabbe and Goyle. They too were not present. No one was around; for the moment they were alone.

"So your show of bravery at the game was short lived, was it?" He let go of her, unceremoniously. "I thought so." He studied her face before saying anything more.

"See you around Gryffindor," He stepped around her slowly with a smirk, his body brushing up against hers. "Standing up to me or not." He breathed.

Breakfast was now out of the question. Dazed, Ginny wondered the halls unconsciously heading back to her room.

—

Colin had watched Harry flee the room. From that moment he felt a powerful surge of emotion threatening to overtake him. He clenched his teeth against it. He even tore at his blankets in frustration. Once the fabric started to rip, he tried to calm himself down. He fought the incredible urge to scream. Instead he threw off his blankets, stripped himself of his dirty clothes, and grabbed a bath robe and towel on his way to the boys' shower.

Tears were welling up in his eyes as he shoved passed the door to the boys' bathroom. Another boy was washing when Colin entered, but took no notice as he passed. Colin quickly chose and started one of the showers. Cold water struck is face immediately. He welcomed the shock. As the temperature of the water adjusted, he hung his head and let the water wash over his body. It cascaded down over his face swiftly carrying away his tears.

Shaking, he placed his hands against the cold tiles in front of him. Sobs were racking his body. He leaned into the wall, his forehead pressed up against it. His hands curled up into fists at either side of his face. He pressed his body up against the hard unrelenting surface of the tiles hoping to melt into them and disappear. He didn't. The momentum of emotion rolled over him, and the boy simply let it happen wishing it would pass quickly.

—

Hermione sat at the table shoveling her breakfast down, purposely ignoring everyone around her. That was incredibly easy since no one was sitting next to her. Both Harry and Ron hadn't shown up for the meal. _Ron probably went back to bed_, she thought. _And Harry, he's still fumbling around for his glasses, no doubt!_ She glanced around her briefly and realized something else. Ginny wasn't there either. Hermione broke from her swift consumption of food for a moment.

_Where _is _everybody?_

Just then a blond Slytherin entered the hall with the biggest, most self satisfied sneer she had ever witnessed displayed on the boy's face. As he sat down, he caught her stare and returned it. She narrowed her eyes and glowered at him, she still had a score to settle with him. Then Malfoy's sneer had the nerve to grow. Without looking away he said something. Crabbe and Goyle, who she just realized were already sitting, looked at her and sniggered. Now the blond Slytherin was all but glowing.

"Why that little–" She stopped immediately when she heard her voice out loud. The irritated Gryffindor promptly resumed ignoring everybody, finished her plate, and left.

—

Ginny's head was still muddled up when from down the hall she saw Harry exit from behind the Fat Lady's portrait. She stood there watching. Harry wore the strangest expression on his face. He seemed oblivious to her presence, even walking past her without a glance.

_At least he found his glasses._

She approached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady in the portrait looked down at her expectantly and sighed.

"Well, come on dear, say the password. Standing there like you've been petrified will not work." She peered down at the red headed girl more closely. "What's the matter, did Filtch's cat steal away your tongue?"

"Dragonberry Pie" the girl managed to say.

Once inside the common room Ginny took a deep breath. There was so much inside her head happening all at once she felt like screaming. She thought about laying down for a few minutes before leaving for her first class. Crossing the room she heard a sound. She paused to identify it, but it was gone. Ginny waited in case she heard it again. She did. It was coming from the boys' side.

Quickly she walked over to the entrance and listened. _It must be Neville, snoring_. She could hear something that might be called snoring but it was muffled and seemed far away. It was then she realized that another sound was softly filling the hallway, from somewhere closer, like running water. Satisfied that she recognized the sounds Ginny turned to head back to the girls' side to her room.

Before the Weasley girl made a step she froze. A third sound reached her, its echoes flowing down the hall. It was unmistakable.

She felt drawn to it. Despite the fact that girls weren't supposed to enter the boys' quarters, she made the decision to investigate. She followed the sound right to the door to the boys' bathroom. Somewhere on the other side of the door, someone was crying. Slowly she pushed the door open with her hand and peered inside. She saw no one from behind the door, so she stepped into the room letting the door close behind her.

Surveying the room Ginny located the general area the sounds were coming from. She approached one step at a time, minding the treacherous puddles on the floor. When she was only a few shower stalls away from the source of the crying, a pale shape floated out in front of her.

Ginny stifled a gasp with her hand. _Myrtle!_

The ghost looked at Ginny with curiosity. "You shouldn't be here, girls are not aloud," Moaning Myrtle said.

"Then what are you doing here, bawling your eyes out?" Ginny shot back.

The ghost shook her head. "I wasn't crying. It was him." She pointed into the stall she had come from. "That boy is crying. I think he's very sad." She said in a hushed voice as floated away and down into a drain in the floor.

Ginny's heart sank. Uncertain that she was prepared for whatever sight she was about to witness, the girl simply took the last few steps and faced the boy that was the source of all the mystery.

The boy was naked, curled up in the corner of the stall, leaning against the tiled wall. His face was buried in the corner under thin goose fleshed arms. The water was still running and fell onto his legs pooling around his small scrawny butt. Ignoring her embarrassment, she quickly made note that the boy didn't seemed harmed, no bruises or cuts were visible. She sighed in relief.

The boy turned. With his back to the wall, he ran his hands over his face. There was blood on his bottom lip. His legs slid out from under him towards where Ginny stood. And stood there she did – in shock.

"Colin?"

His eyes snapped open, reddened and swollen as they were. He suddenly realized where he was and who she was, and franticly tried to cover his nakedness. Then his embarrassment struck him forcibly. In an attempt to regain some dignity he tried to get to his feet. His foot slipped and he accidentally shut off the hot water trying to regain his balance. In a heartbeat the water went ice cold. Ginny was momentarily forgotten, as he fumbled with the old controls turning up the cold instead of turning it off. Gasping for air, Colin squeezed in behind the cascade of icy water and finally shut it off. Shivering and numb, he looked over his shoulder.

Witnessing the whole display nearly sent Ginny into a fit of hysterical laughter. The look on Colin's blanched face made her glad that she hadn't. He looked so hurt, her heart ached. Whatever had made him cry was still causing him pain, and certainly her intrusion hadn't helped.

"What's wrong Colin?" She asked softly.

"I'm c-cold and wet and n-naked." He spat through chattering teeth. "Go away"

"No. Something is wrong, and I want--"

"_Bloody hell, _Ginny!" he snapped. He lowered his voice. "Can you at least get me a towel?"

"Oh."

Ginny turned and spotted a towel and a robe nearby. "Here!" She offered both to him. He took the robe without a thought and pulled it tight around his body. For a moment neither of them did anything. Colin stood there shivering and teeth clenched. Ginny stood and watched him, holding the towel in her hands. She watched the water dripping off his hair and nose.

"Come here." She told him. His response was a confused look. She stepped forward, reached up and quickly began drying his hair. He started to protest.

"Shut up." She cut him off. He obliged. "Thankfully, you haven't grown too tall. Then I'd have no choice except to have my best friend go on and catch a nasty cold"

After drying his hair she left the towel around his shoulders. She gingerly touched his bottom lip. "What happened?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

"Oh, it's a bad habit I must have started, biting my own lip. Silly isn't it?" He looked away, avoiding her eyes.

"Will you tell me what is going on?" Her voice called softly to him.

"I can't. Not now." His voice cracked. Tears began to well up in his eyes again, and then his chin quivered. He fought to keep the emotion from surfacing again. He swallowed hard. "Thank you."

"For...?"

"For being here."

Colin leaned into her and wrapped his arms around her smaller body. His tight embrace caught her off guard. Her immediate reaction was to push him away, but then she realized that he must really need this right now. In his own time he will let her know why. She respected that and made sure she gave him any help she could. She returned the embrace and realized that she too, needed friendly and reassuring arms around her.

Ginny's eyes filled with tears. Holding onto Colin she let them flow freely.

* * *

August-22-2005: first posted

* * *

_Please review and put my story on your alert!  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**.:. Secrets Between Friends .:.**

_Chapter Six  
_

Harry had stood in the common room, literally shell-shocked. He didn't even notice when a straggler left for breakfast. His mind registered nothing about his surroundings. Suddenly he had to go. It wasn't a thought – all the thoughts in his brain were literally crashing together, giving him a headache. It was just a feeling, an urge. He needed to leave.

Fresh memories clouded his vision. Somewhere in the midst of confusion, a coherent thought formed. It marveled at the intensity of his reaction, and wondered why such an awkward situation begat such an extreme response. Harry then ignored that thought, and kept walking.

He didn't even know where he was headed.

—

By lunchtime, Hermione was furious. Not only did Ron and Harry fail to show up to their morning classes, she was forced to team up with that sniveling blond brat in Sprout's class.

"Take care not to linger, lest you lost a finger!" The stout woman concluded with an over zealous snort.

Draco rolled his eyes, and then stared at the plant that he and Hermione were supposed to handle. "It's a _Combibo Complectus_ plant of the _Ingenero Tantus_ family." Hermione pointed out knowingly. "To get the seed you just have to stick your fingers in and get it!"

"So why don't you stick your finger in it!" he spat at her. He looked at the large bulbous plant with disgust.

"Because you gormless git, my fingers aren't long enough"

His eyes went from her hands to the plant back to her hands, then to his own hands before falling back to the plant. He sighed. "Fine. Sometimes being endowed is such a bother."

She scoffed at the remark. _Actually_, she found it somewhat witty. She would not let him know that, though. The ferret boy did have his moments—moments that were severely overshadowed by his overbearing, tactless and rude nature, but moments nonetheless.

"Come on, Malfoy! Get your finger out, and stick it in there!" She nodded towards the _Combibo Complectus_.

The Slytherin glared at her. Reluctantly he focused on the plant and leaned over it. It essentially was a large bud, with swollen petals that clenched onto a seed the size of a chicken egg. Normally, the plant would mature in another week and slowly shed all but the fertile seed.

However, the seed was immensely useful for potions if extracted a week prior ripening. He poked at it a few times. It seemed quite soft.

"You know, poking at it like that isn't going to help, unless it's interested in foreplay."

_That _shocked Draco. He didn't expect Miss Prude-and-Proper to make a comment like that.

She was ignoring the fact that he was gaping at her for the moment, and looking expectantly at the plant.

At another table, Crabbe and Goyle each attempted to plunge a hand into the plant, and at the same time. Sprout frowned at the resulting mess. Hermione's stomach lurched at the sight. Draco's face looked like she felt. The rest of the class tried to ignore the brutes.

Finally, Hermione's partner worked up his nerve and pressed the tip of his index finger down into the middle of the _Combibo_. A shiver went up his spine.

"Bloody hell, this is gross!" He muttered.

"It's only a plant, Malfoy." She admonished. He growled at her.

Draco slowly pushed his finger in until it was about half gone. He felt around and hoped that he could find that damned seed. The plant's grip wasn't terribly firm, it was just surprisingly moist. Inside the texture was soft and supple. But no seed – not that he could tell.

Hermione watched as the boy felt around inside the plant with his finger. He wasn't deep enough, she knew. Judging by the size of it, she guessed his finger would need to be fully inserted to reach the Combibo seed. He may even need to use two fingers to extract the thing, depending on how close to ripening it was. His slender pale digit sank further into the plant. The disgust on the boy's face faded, and was replaced with concentration. His finger was fully inserted, and it seemed like he still couldn't find the seed.

"I can't feel it."

"Well feel around some more, you twit." She snapped at him. "It _has _to be in there. Use two fingers if you have to."

He chuckled to him self.

Her eyes narrowed, giving Draco a piercing gaze. "What?"

"Oh, nothing Herm'." That blatant wreck of her name was coupled with a sly grin. "I wasn't sure you could handle two fingers so soon."

The Gryffindor girl blanched. Then she felt the warmth return as she blushed despite willing her self to remain composed.

His grey eyes locked with hers while he withdrew his finger and replaced it with not two, but three fingers. As they slide into the plant he mouth widened into a smirk. The blond boy's lips parted as he exhaled slowly.

"I think I found it," he breathed. He proceeded to work his fingers around the seed. Draco was enjoying himself, teasing the mudblood in this fashion. He looked away languidly. His fingers were almost around the egg sized prize.

Hermione was furious. She hated the way he insulted her by making those derogatory remarks. She hated the way she became unnerved. On top of all that, she was highly disturbed with her unwavering fascination the blonde boy's fingers. She couldn't look away. Oh, she tried to mask it with her disgust and hatred for him, and she pretended to ignore his comments. She only hoped it worked.

Draco bit his bottom lip and let a soft moan escape his throat. Suddenly there was a strange sloshing sound, as he withdrew. He waved the large glistening seed in her face.

"Wonderfull! Fantastic!" Sprout exclaimed suddenly from behind Hermione. The Gryffindor girl's heart jumped. She despised when people snuck up on her like that. The instructor, oblivious to the irritation of the two students, promptly snatched the large seed from the boy's messy hand and placed it in a pouch she had been carrying around.

Finally, it was the end of class. Hermione attempted to be the first to leave, however, Draco snuck out just before her, chuckling to himself.

She nearly tripped over him in the doorway.

—

Ginny had gone through her classes as usual. She managed to keep her mind occupied for about half a minute with school work. The rest of the time she was thinking about Colin, and remembering what had occurred this morning. Charms class, the last class before lunch, she shared with Colin. He had come in just before Flitwick began, narrowly avoiding a reprimand. He took his seat next to her.

"Hi." He said quietly.

"Hello." She responded. _At least he looks better now._

As the class progressed, Ginny noticed that her friend was aloof, and unfocused. More than once she caught him staring random objects, but his eyes were dilated, and unseeing. She heard him sigh, and breath irregularly during class.

"Are you okay" She asked at one point.

He merely nodded, with sadness in his eyes.

_What is wrong? He's so unhappy!_ She made a mental note to talk to him soon and figure out everything. _I have to help him, if I can_.

When the class finished, they left and walked through the halls without a word.

In the Great Hall, they sat with the rest of the Gryffindors for the midday meal. Colin sat on one side of Ginny, and her brother sat on the other. Hermione and Harry sat across from Ron and herself, respectfully. Across from Colin sat Dean Thomas.

"Did you guys hear about Puddlemere?" Hogwarts' quidditch announcer inquired enthusiastically.

Harry and Ron looked up with interest. "What about Puddlemere?" Ron asked. Harry remained silent, though he looked up from staring at his plate to look at the excited Gryffindor boy whose eyes were alight with a frenzied passion.

"What? You _haven't _heard?" Dean exploded.

"Heard _what _exactly?" Hermione demanded curtly.

Dean threw down the latest issue of the Daily Prophet on the table down in the middle of the group. They all spied what was on the first page. Each of them leaned in to read the article. After stealing a glance at Harry, Colin leaned forward too – he had to read the text upside down.

_**Puddlemere United: Captainless!**  
_

_ The popular Quidditch team has just recently lost its newest team captain, Oliver Wood, after what seems to be a bizarre revelation of magical conduct. Wood, has had not only the honor of being the team's youngest captain to date, but also, the captain with the shortest reign. The burly youth, was appointed to his now recently vacated position after his first year with Puddlemere, making his occupancy span less than a full season!  
_

_ Sources say the events surrounding Wood's are kept in strict confidence and shall not be discussed, for the record. What the sources don't say is even more hush-hush and leads one to speculate misconduct, mismanagement, and misuse of magical wands!  
Puddlemere fans need not worry, team representatives advise that this unfortunate turn of events does not reflect the team's ability to perform. In light of the pending Championships one would hope…_

Colin managed to read most of the article, before Thomas yanked the paper out from the group of Hogwarts students. Ron and Ginny immediately berated the bearer of the news with questions. Hermione looked somewhat annoyed at the commotion the column stirred. Harry seemed perplexed and was oblivious to what was being said at the moment. He was staring at the spot on the table were the paper had been. Colin watched him for a few seconds. It was strange that Harry was reacting to news like this, especially when it regarded Quidditch

Harry looked up at Colin.

Dean Thomas ignored the questions. "I have a feeling we will know more about this sooner than you think"

Everyone suddenly quieted. Harry looked at the boy curiously.

"Why do you say that, Thomas?"

"Well," He grinned conspiratorially. "It seems that Dumbledore spoke with someone from Puddlemere just this morning. I don't know who though."

"What does that mean?" Ron asked.

"It means absolutely nothing, until he tells us. And he probably won't tell us unless it'll affect the school." Hermione looked at all of them in turn. "We should be doing school work, and studying – not gossiping like old hens"

The girl left the table abruptly.

"Lunch is nearly over anyway." Ginny pointed out to Colin beside her.

* * *

September-06-2005: first posted

* * *

_Please review and put my story on your alert!_


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